Tailgate
by marap
Summary: 'The air was crisp and bitingly cold for a summer's night, the metal of his truck uncomfortably icy under Sam's jean-clad thighs.' Sam/Andy. Tag for 3x05.


_AN: I should be working on the next chapter of GK instead of churning out an episode tag, but what can I say? I felt inspired by the last scene of this week's episode and just churned this out without too much planning or thought. Not usually my style, but it is almost 3am now, so I am too tired to overthink it anyway. This is a tag for Messy Houses, continuing on from that last scene. I went onto the Sam/Andy forum after writing this and it seems many of you, coincidentally, hoped for something more in that final scene. I wasn't really expecting it, but I would have loved it, of course. Anyway, I hope you like this little oneshot and I apologise for any mistakes. I have reread and edited, but my brain may have missed things in its tired state. Please review and thanks for reading! x_

**Tailgate**

The air was crisp and bitingly cold for a summer's night, the metal of his truck uncomfortably icy under Sam's jean-clad thighs. He sat silently, looking down at the strong, lean form of the girl beside him as she lay with her eyes closed. He soon brought his eyes forward, as if in fear of being caught. _Hell, why bother?_ Andy _knew_ he watched her. He was allowed to now, anyway, right? It was only of the many little things he was now allowed to do. Each one meant more to him than he'd ever imagined they could. Be it holding her hand, seeing her messy hair in the morning or watching her brush her teeth. Tucking her hair behind her ear when it fell across her face or trailing his fingers down her back after making love to her with all the sincerity in the world. Sometimes, thinking about it all left him a little in awe - speechless and feeling like it was all just a dream he would at any moment wake up from.

A few officers walked past. Sam spotted Noelle, arms folded across her chest and a dark jacket making her fade into the darkness of the parking lot. He raised a hand in farewell as she saw him. Noelle smiled back and gestured toward Andy, glancing back at Sam with a playful attitude and eyes that seemed to say, _'you know you got a girl horizontal in your truck there, Sammy.' _Samjust smiled back at her.

He heard Andy let out a breath and stole a glance down at her. Her eyes were still closed and her posture was relaxed. She held the apple flip against her breast, a few crumbs sitting teasingly on the bare skin of her collarbone and upper chest. She looked content, except for the slight furrow of her brow. She sometimes did that in her sleep. He'd not yet mentioned it to her and had wondered once or twice before how many people actually _knew_ she did it. Did her mother? Or had it only started after she left? Sam let a protective hand fall to one of Andy's bare ankles, the skin soft and chilled under his fingertips.

'You cold?' he asked softly, speaking the first words since she'd flopped backwards onto the tray of his truck.

She mumbled a child-like 'uh-uh' in negative reply. He smiled tightly, rubbing her skin in slow strokes of his fingertips. The skin was not baby's-bottom smooth, her legs not freshly shaved. But he could not care less. Furthermore, she hadn't told him to stop or pushed his hand away, and he loved that she hadn't.

He took a bite of his apple flip, holding the small remaining bit with his other hand. He swallowed and then tossed the last bit into his mouth.

'Well, maybe you're not,' he said after a second, once he'd swallowed again, 'but my ass is freezing to the tailgate, so can we go now?'

'Yeah, yeah, yeah,' Andy placated, opening her eyes and rolling them in faux-annoyance. Sam just caught sight of this as he looked back at her. He smiled.

Andy bit into her own apple flip and held it between her teeth, letting her hands fall to her thighs and rubbing the crumbs on her pants. Her mother had often told her off for that. She didn't know if that was why she had done it now.

She stuck her arms out to Sam and raised her brows in silent request. He slid off the tailgate and stood before her, reaching down to take her hands in his.

'I'll say it again - it's lucky you're cute, McNally,' he said as he pulled her into an upright position.

She giggled and the apple flip almost fell as her mouth widened.

'Thanks,' she said simply as she let go of his hands and took the apple flip back in her hands.

'Any time, McNally.'

He placed a soft kiss on her lips. Gentle, discreet, but by no means lacking in all the things a kiss was meant to be.

'Can we go home now?' he asked.

She smiled at his use of the word 'home'. It didn't feel scary, just comforting. Whose home didn't matter. There'd quickly become one in the same. Even if only _unofficially_.

'Yeah,' she said softly, despite showing no sign of moving. The toes of her sneakers brushed against Sam's waist and her arms were folded across her knee.

'You okay?' he asked gently.

She lifted her chin. 'I'm glad you're here.'

'Me too.'

The warmth in his eyes was clear to see, but lingering thoughts remained unspoken in her own.

'Wanna talk about it? he asked again, speaking with warm eyes that promised no pressure.

'You wanted to go home.' She looked up at him, feeling a little guilty for her timing. It was always off.

He shrugged with a single shoulder. 'It will still be there whenever we get to it,' he said simply. Then he wanted patiently.

'I told her I could do coffee,' she said like a confession, breaking the pause that had lingered like a child forgetting a line in a school play. She had done that once, in fact. Not long after he mother had left.

Of course Sam knew without asking who Andy was referring to. 'Okay,' he said simply, accepting and waiting, as if for more information. His voice held no judgment.

'What do you think?' she asked. Apparently she _wanted_ his judgment. Not of her, but of the situation.

He put a hand on her calf and let his lips part, his tongue pressing against his bottom teeth as if he were choosing his words carefully. He looked past her briefly before lowering his eyes to hers.

'I think you're damn forgiving, McNally.' His tone was much more one of simple awe than one of reprimand.

Despite that, Andy replied self-deprecatingly. 'My weakness, right?' She rolled her eyes again, this time as if annoyed with herself.

'Sometimes, yeah,' he admitted gently, not wanting to lie to her. 'But one that takes a hell of a lot of strength, McNally. I just hope that she doesn't take advantage of it.'

Andy nodded. 'Yeah. But… you'll be there if she does.' It was a statement more than a question. At least in terms of her voice. But her rich brown eyes wore hope for reassurance.

'You won't get rid of me, remember?'

She smiled. Her smile grew a little when she realised that this time, he'd left out the 'without a fight'. Perhaps even then she wouldn't get rid of him? The powerful implication of that was too much to think about right now.

'Home?' she suggested.

''Bout time, McNally,' he teased as he walked to the driver's side door of his beloved truck, tossing his bag onto the back seat. Andy hopped off the truck, grabbing her own bag and climbing in the passenger side.

As they drove off in peaceful silence, _Andy_ tried not to replay the day in her head. _Sam_ tried not to worry whether _Andy_ would be okay. Today was a lot to deal with, after all. It'd only get harder if she began rebuilding a relationship broken so many years ago. One that was meant to be so sacred and unconditional, furthermore.

'Sam?' Andy asked as they stopped at a red light, breaking the silence as if something had just occurred to her.

'Yeah?' Sam asked, a little concern creeping through in his voice.

'What's _your_ full name?'

He smiled. She'd be fine.


End file.
